help needed.............

[gavm5]

OK, here in lies my dilema -
Currently I have a BMW e39 M5, 400bhp, leather, satnav, lots of toys.
Also have a young family, trailer tent (we do love camping) a house we are doing up, another trailer (for helping with house-doing-up-chores) and a fiesty Staffordshire Bull Terrier that is not allowed in the M5.
M5 gets left at home when we holiday, has no towbar and does not make a good car for trips to a builders merchants.
My wifes car is a BMW 323i touring, has the towbar, dogguard, and the Staffie travels well in it.
I have owned and rebuilt several "series" Landrovers, and also had the pleasure of a 1989 TurboD.
My love of Landrovers is still there, and I am slowly convincing Mrs GavM5 that I/we should part-ex the M5 in favour of a 110 County TD5 (that way I can get it sorted by a reputable tuner and have a reasonably quick Landy as well as a tool for all the other jobs that will be asked of it)
I know that a 110 TD5 will never get near an M5 in terms of performance and handling, but can anyone tell me just how far removed am I going to be ?
I realise that part of the trade-off is that I get a jackofalltrades but I still need some smile factor and definately some overtaking ability.

[GKP]

Chalk cheese.
Black White.
Night Day.
Up Down.
On Off.


Need I go on?

[sunbeam_alpine]

I don't think that it would be a good move to swap to a Defender type Land Rover. Don't get me wrong, they're brilliant for what they do, but not really comfortable for a long run like a camping holiday, or as a family car for everyday use.

Have you considered a Discovery?

[BLUETHUNDER]

I use my Defender along with my Ram as everyday transport. But you cant make any comparison at all between a Defender and a M5. Like someone else said. Chalk and Cheese.

[gavm5]

Thanks for the response - I realise that there is no direct comparison, but am I still going to get a little smile factor if I tune a td5 upto 200BHP ?

Some years ago I went from a Prodrive tuned Impreza WRX to an Isuzu Rodeo that I also had tweaked by Prodrive (150 BHP) and it was great truck doing all the mundane tasks but also "nippy" enough to not only keep up with other traffic but also make the occasional overtake and it would cruise well enough at 70/75 on a motorway although I personally would not tow at that speed anyway.

Would the Defender offer the same ?

[RedLeicester]

Best bet would be a RR S/C surely?

Night and day difference between my L322 Rangie V8 and my E39 M5, and that would only be more extreme if it were a Defender.